Steam blower box

Details Steam blower box Steam blower box

1999-05-05

2001-01-30

Wilson, Pamela (Department: 3749)

Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids

Process

Gas or vapor contact with treated material

C034S638000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178661

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a steam blower box for the application of steam onto a material web passing by, and more particularly, a material web such as a paper or cardboard web that is to be dewatered and is passing through the press section of a paper-making machine.
2. Description of Background Information
A conventional steam blower box extends over the entire web width of a material web passing through the press section of a paper-making machine, transverse to the web travel direction. The steam blower box includes a plurality of zone chambers that are arranged side by side over the width of the web and are connected to a steam source by individual control valves. Each zone chamber is connected to a steam line, and the steam lines are routed to at least one support plate, where the steam lines are each attached to a supply line connected to the steam source.
A steam blower box of this nature is used primarily in paper manufacturing. Its purpose is to raise the temperature of the material web by means of the steam applied to the material web, in order to improve dewatering of the material web. In the process, the steam blower box offers the possibility of influencing the transverse moisture profile of the material web by the sectional application of steam.
Such a steam blower box is known, for example from German Patent Nos. DE 44 02 278 A1 and DE 44 01 220 C1. In these known steam blower boxes, the supply lines are combined in groups on supply plates, which are joined to the support plate by quick clamping elements. The quick clamping elements facilitate rapid decoupling when an individual steam blower box is removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, an object of the invention is to provide a steam blower box in which the supply lines can be detachably fastened to the supply plate in an especially simple and reliable manner.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a steam blower box for the application of steam onto a material web to be dewatered passing through a press section of a paper-making machine, includes a blower box extending, transverse to a web travel direction of the material web, over the entire width of the material web, the blower box comprising a plurality of zone chambers, arranged side by side over the width of the web, and connected to a plurality of steam lines, the plurality of steam lines to be connected to a corresponding plurality of supply lines connected to a steam source. A connecting nipple having a stop is provided to each of the supply lines at the end to be connected to the steam lines, and a support plate to which the plurality of steam lines is routed. The support plate has openings formed therein into which the connecting nipples can be inserted from one side of the support plate until the stops contact the plate, while the steam lines connect to the openings on a remaining side of the plate. At least one retaining strip works in conjunction with the stops to lock down the supply lines to the support plate, the retaining strip or strips being movable parallel to the support plate behind the stops, so that the stops are held on the one side of the plate by the retaining strip or strips. The material web may be one of a paper web or a cardboard web.
That is, the supply lines are locked down to the support plate by at least one retaining strip, which works in conjunction with the stops, and is movable parallel to the support plate behind the stops so that the stops are held on the relevant side of the plate by the retaining strip.
Optionally, the retaining strip is tapered on a front end in a direction of motion thereof. If the retaining strip is tapered on its front end in the direction of its motion, a guide surface is created that acts together with the stops, by means of which the relevant connecting nipples are, if necessary, pushed further into the openings. More particularly, with the taper, before the connecting nipples are locked down on the support plate by the retaining strip, the relevant connecting nipples may be pushed further into the openings until the stops make contact with the support plate.
Further optionally, at least some of the openings provided in the support plate are arranged in a row or rows of openings, the retaining strip being movable laterally along the row of openings. The connecting nipples inserted in the row(s) of openings are locked down to the support plate by the retaining strip or strips movable laterally along the row(s) of openings. A retaining strip can thus lock several supply lines down to the support plate.
In this case, in one variation, each row or rows of openings may be arranged with an adjacent row of openings, the adjacent row parallel to the aforementioned row or rows, and the retaining strip or strips are moved in steps along the adjacent row of openings such that the connecting nipples associated with the adjacent row of openings are inserted one after another into sequential openings of the adjacent row, and locked down to the support plate by the retaining strip as the retaining strip is pushed along.
In another alternative variation, the openings provided in the support plate are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows and a plurality of retaining strips are provided. Each of the retaining strips is movable laterally along the row of openings, and the connecting nipples inserted in the row of openings are locked down to the support plate by the plurality of retaining strips, each movable laterally along the plurality of parallel rows of openings.
In this case, each of the plurality of retaining strips may be moved laterally between adjacent rows of the plurality of parallel openings. At least one of the retaining strips may act together with the stops of corresponding connecting nipples inserted into two adjacent parallel rows of openings to lock corresponding connecting nipples, inserted into both of two adjacent parallel rows of openings, down to the support plate. In other words, retaining strips provided between adjacent rows of openings can act together with the stops of connecting nipples inserted into one row of openings as well as with the stops of the connecting nipples inserted into another, adjacent row of openings in order to lock the relevant connecting nipples down to the support plate.
Further, there may be two outermost retaining strips, one of the two outermost retaining strips being moved laterally outside each outermost row of the plurality of parallel openings. That is, at least one retaining strip, that can be moved parallel to the rows of openings, is provided laterally outside each of the outermost rows of openings, as well as between adjacent rows of openings. Accordingly, the individual retaining strips can be moved in steps in such a way that the connecting nipples associated with each adjacent row of openings can be inserted one after another into sequential openings of this row and locked down to the support plate by the relevant retaining strip as it is pushed along. For this purpose it is useful for an outer row of openings to be filled initially with connecting nipples which, at first, are only locked down to the support plate by the relevant outer retaining strip. While the second row of openings is being filled, another retaining strip is pushed in, which then serves to lock the connecting nipples in both adjacent rows of openings.
Optionally, each of the plurality of retaining strips are moved into respective locking positions from the same side of the support plate. However, it is also possible to use retaining strips that are pushed in from opposite sides of the support plate, that is, one or more retaining strips is moved into a respective locking position from one side of the support plate, and one or more remaining retaining strips is moved into a respective locking position from another, opposite side of the support plate.
Advantageously, the support plate includes a guiding mechanism that guides the plurality of retaining strips on the support

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